Growing Apart
by Sarendune
Summary: It has been several years since highschool, and during this time people change and grow. But not everyone changes for the better. Will our friends overcome time itself, or will they be lost in the tide?
1. Chapter 1

-Chapter 1. Where are we now?

Sakaki took a sip of fher tea. It was still very hot, and she was careful not to drink too much at a time. Serene, calm, and graceful. Typical Sakaki her old friends would have thought. Old friends.

Sakaki frowned and looked at her computer clock. 11:09, well past her bedtime. She had to get up early to go to work, but it wasn't much of a problem for Sakaki. Her stuffed animal shop was a joy to work in. It was one of the things she had always wanted while growing up after all. Sure, she had wanted and even gone to college to be a veterinarian, but there were some things that that profession did that was quite unsavory. She hated seeing so many things in pain all the time. Just the schooling itself had been murder for her. She decided that cute animals were better off remaining just that, cute fuzzy and playful. Not pained, scared, and dying.

Turned out she also had an eye for business.

11:12. Sakaki was rather restless, and a little bit disappointed. She had received an Email from Chiyo-san. She would not be coming over this summer. She said that she was very busy, and that Chad Andrews had asked her out to his summer house in "Florida". Sakaki knew how much she was falling for this American, and hoped the best for her. But she was also one of Sakaki's last-best friends; it was hard knowing that soon she might face the possibility of never really seeing her again.

Sakaki sighed and as she finished her tea. Dr. Mihama was growing distant. Just like Koyomi Mizhuara had, and Kagura and tomo and… and… She got up from her computer and turned off the lights. She had a business to run, and a life to live. Things change after high school, do they not? She was sure that her old friends weren't silly and sentimental like her.

Silly old Sakaki, the "lone wolf", losing sleep over being just that. Alone. Feeling very, very alone.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

Morning came and greeted Ayumu Kasuga. She got up out of bed full of pep and energy, knowing full well that if she didn't do her morning rituals she would most likely fall asleep and have to rely on her second alarm clock to wake her up again.

She had a system. And in her mind, it was brilliant.

First alarm was for a good day, fwhere everything goes correctly and without problems. Second alarm was for days that have things that go awry and you have to fix them. Third alarm was when you're going to have a terrible day, and you need to try your best to stop everything from being a disaster. Fourth alarm was for when you had to call in sick.

Ayumu was not going to have a bad day today though, no way! Today was going to be great she thought as she put on her cloths and refreshed herself. Today was the last day before summer break! She could do anything she wanted, like go play laser tag or learn how to ski. Or maybe go drinking and see a movie.

ayumu nodded her head. She smiled to herself and recalled how fat one point she might have wanted to go to mars, or find buried treasure. She had been a… unique child growing up. But the years had settled her mind into reality. It was boring at first but she had friends there.

Friends, friends like Chiyo-chan the child prodigy, or Tomo and Yomi. Or Sakaki-san. ayumu remembered well her travels to Chiyo-chan's summer home. They had been some of the most fun she had ever had. She hadn't seen Chiyo for almost three years now though. They weren't on _bad_ terms persé, but it had been pretty awkward for her. Chiyo had changed a lot, and old "Osaka" wasn't exactly the same either.

"You either grow together or grow apart. But nothing ever stays the same." Mused ayumu as she was putting on her shoes. Her students loved Kasuga-Sensai. She was the best Literature teacher in Azu high. Much better than the old creepy Kimura. ayumu walked out the door and was already thinking about what she would do with her new (old) friends (teachers). Knowing Yukari, something entertaining to say the least.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?" Beep. Beep. Beep. "Thank-you-have-a-good-day." "Hi find everything alright?"

Kagura had been a great athlete. She had been one of the best in her high school, had made it into that high school because of her athletic abilities. Had made it into college partially because of them as well. Kagura had great potential.

Kagura had a fake smile plastered on her face as she worked her cashier job. She wasn't rude or spiteful the customers. It certainly wasn't their fault that she had broken her leg during a run and missed out on her athletic events before she had dropped out. It wasn't their fault that she had dropped out of college. It wasn't their fault that she had fallen in love with the wrong man at the wrong time. It wasn't even any of their faults that she was beaten, the divorce was painful, her child miscarried, and father had passed away and…

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?"

Kagura had had a tough time after high school to be sure. No tougher than other people she knew, but still. How the mighty had fallen she thought bitterly to herself. No longer an athlete she had let herself go a bit. She was slightly overweight, nothing too bad but she felt a little embarrassed to be seen in a bathing suit. She was no longer popular, but that was normal when students join the "real life" club. She probably lost any friends she still had whe-

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?"

When she had first met Izanagi Saito-san it had been like a dream come true. She had found love at long last and not a single thing her so called "friends" said about him mattered in the slightest. Well, turns out they were right Kagura Saito thought to herself. It ended up mattering a lot.

"Thank-you-have-a-good-day."

Of course, like the little bonkura she was, she couldn't just politely disagree with her friends. She had said some things that she knew she could never withdraw. She had used every bit of venom she had ever stored against the world and emptied her reserves on those that had mattered most to her. In retrospect she had to ask why? Why had she-

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?"

Well it didn't matter anymore. So many years had gone by without a single word to her old friends, she had changed Emails without telling and had of course changed residences. And she didn't remember or know where any of them were either. Tokyo was a big little village. And Japan was perhaps the largest country for its size in the whole-

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?"

Kagura sighed to herself, in her mind where it wouldn't interfere with her working mask, inside where no one would ask their clueless questions that were best left un-answered, inside her mind she sighed heavily. She wished something, well… ANYTHING really, to happen to her. To get her out of this slump. She wished she could see her old friends again, she wished she could go back five years ago to stop herself from even dating that creep. She wished she could go once more to Chiyo-chan's summer home, to race for her class in school events, to -

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?"

"Oh, I found everything just fine Kagura. Fancy seeing you here, I couldn't believe it was you until I got up here hehe."

Some sort of cosmic co-incidence to reconnect with her past, with her old self when she was a somebody, and… What?!

"Tomo?!"

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

Tomo Takino, the wonder girl! Tomo Takino, voted most likely to be awesome by everyone anywhere every time! Tomo Takino, the one who could never fail! Best friend of Yomi, she could get under her skin faster than a speeding bullet. Energetic and full of joy there was nothing that Tomo couldn't do!

Except graduate from College. Or stay away from the wrong crowd. Or apparently even stay within proximity of the one she loved.

Tomo couldn't talk to Kagura long, but she was happy to see that _she _was almost as happy to see _me_ as _I _was to see _her_. She had a phone and Email information in her hand, and her lunch and supper in her bag. Well, to be honest it would probably be breakfast too, but she didn't feel like drinking the entire bottle in one day.

Still, it was a happy day. She hadn't seen Kagura since she exiled herself from the group and went off with that Saito guy. She hadn't been the last to exile herself of course. Tomo did likewise soon after but hey. Them's the breaks.

Tomo was wearing a pair of jeans that looked like they were the sole survivors of Hiroshima and a shirt that even worn backwards would be in obvious need of a washing. Which went well with her, as she herself looked like she could probably use some soap and water as well.

The only thing going through Tomo's mind though was finding Kagura. She remembered being really mad at her about something. Probably called her a name or something. Everything was kind of… blurry back then. It was drunk out a lot in college.

She remembered that Sakaki was going to be a vet, hadn't seen her for a long time she was always kind of a lone wolf. Chiyo didn't bother to write to her that often, since Tomo never checked her Email and just used Yomi's. Osaka was going to become a teacher somewhere, but never really talked to them much after awhile. There was that weird girl who had that creepy crush with Sakaki but Tomo couldn't remember her name… And her friend… But those guys weren't really part of her group anyways.

Then there was Yomi.

Tomo became suddenly very sullen. Yomi. Yomi was not a good subject with her. She did not like to even think about it anymore. It was hard enough when it first happened, but now it was unbearable. She… She wasn't really worth thinking about now was she?

Tomo Takino made her way to her little flat. She had three room mates who would allow her to stay with them for- well, not exactly for free. One of them was passed out on the broken sofa when she got home. She hated him. He was a pig. He was abusive. He was a criminal. He was Ito.

He was her new best friend.

Tomo shook her head and made her way towards her shared bedroom.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

"I don't much care for your excuses. I don't much care for your attitude. I gave you an assignment and I expected results. You had plenty of time Yoshida-san."

Yoshida looked up from his shoes and swallowed. His throat had tightened up while his boss had scolded him. Truth was that he had had plenty of time. But it was also true that he _had_ to go to his sisters funeral. That took up an entire day, he only had two days to do his assignment! But she didn't care. He knew his boss was one of the coldest people in Japan. "Mizuhara-san, I'll finish it today, I'll work late. I can re-schedule my-"

Mizuhara-san cut him short. "Good. I want that report done and on my desk before I go home tonight." she stopped for a second and took off her glasses. "And so sorry about your sister. Dismissed Yoshida-san."

Koyomi Mizuhara was not the sort of person to get on the bad side of. She was cold and ruthless, always pushing efficiency and was, at least to the people on her floor, one of the scariest people they knew. She had only recently graduated from college, but she was already in middle management position. She had made it far in a short time, but had made no friends in doing so.

She took a drink of her coffee. It was getting cold but she didn't care. She drank it black and strong hot or cold it didn't matter. She was not in a good mood today. Little piss ants like Yoshida were the least of her problems. She had her own reports to fill, productions to meet, regulations to enforce and a plethora of other little tasks that mounted up to try to overwhelm her each day. Fourteen hour shifts were common for her these days. She had a career, not a job.

As she typed her report she looked at the time on her clock. She had missed her lunch already but that was fine. She wasn't hungry. She gave herself a half smile remembering how much trouble she had maintaining diets when she was younger. Now she was finding it hard to actually eat anything, let a lone too much. But then, a lot of things had changed.

She continued typing her report for another hour, checking her clock every five minutes or so. She had a meeting to go to later and she couldn't miss that. Even if the meeting wasn't really for her department it was mandatory that she go to it. Company policy was law in her mind.

Backing away from her report physically but continuing to think about it she made her way to the meeting room. She passed cubicles, noting as she walked past people seemed to be working much faster than their daily quota's would show them normally working. Mizuhara knew that she was feared, even hated amongst her employees but it didn't matter. Life was hard and they had to deal with it. If they thought she was some sort of terrible ogre than that was their problem. As long as they did their jobs she didn't care.

Mizuhara didn't care about a lot of things it seemed. As she listened in on the meeting detailing changes that had nothing to do with her department her mind wandered to way back when in college. She remembered going to a school with Kagura and Tomo. She remembered how close she had gotten to them. She remembered when she had confided in Kagura her true feelings for her best friend, and how later she had turned her words against her when she tried to warn her about Izanagi. She remembered trying to tell Tomo herself, and finding instead of returned feelings nothing but cold disgust.

She didn't think her friends would feel that way about her. Kagura had seemed just fine with it, until of course she let her true feelings show. And Tomo. Tomo should have at least tried to let her down gently or realize how difficult or- But no. Tomo Takino wasn't that sort of person. She wasn't gay and wanted nothing to do with another woman. She had called it sick even. And asked if that's what their friendship was, just a love obsession like Kaori and Sakaki?

Mizuhara had moved out of the flat shortly after. Got her own dorm and continued with college. She now knew exactly how Kaori had felt when the previous year she was let down by Sakaki. They started emailing each other more frequently.

She also talked some with Sakaki for a while and Chiyo as well; but Chiyo had never liked her all that well; they were friends but were never that close. She supposed that since she never needed Chiyo's help with schoolwork that she missed a lot of time with her or something. They just never clicked much after high school. And Sakaki was never one for conversations.

After wards she didn't keep in much contact with much of anybody. Kagura and Tomo both dropped out, Osaka was in a different school, and Kaori and Chihiro were definitely their own group. One that Mizuhara felt uncomfortable joining. Still sometimes she wondered if she should re-establish contact with her old companion, or at least see how she was doing. She knew that Chihiro was… well, she should see how Kaorin was doing.

Walking back from her meeting and re-entering her office though such sentimental thoughts disappeared from her mind. She was a very busy woman, and had a lot of work today. But…

She quickly wrote an Email so that she could get these distracting thoughts out of her head. Just a quick little message asking how she was doing, and if they could keep in contact.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

Kaori got up and had herself a cup of Orange Juice and a bowl of noodles. She had that for breakfast a lot. With groggy eyes she watched the sun set, it was always a beautiful sight.

She didn't have classes for quite some time, so she could take her "mornings" (as she liked to call them) slow. Take time to watch the weather and news, take a shower, read some of her book, and check her Email and telephone messages.

It was while doing this that she saw something that caught her off guard. A letter from Yomi? Although the message wasn't very long, it was pretty amiable. Especially considering the fact it had been months, maybe even over a year since she had last sent one. They had sort of went their own ways after college, and Kaori always suspected that Yomi didn't feel like she fit in with her and Chihiro.

Join the club snorted Kaori. She had tried for years to be one of her group's close friends. And maybe she would have if it wasn't for Sakaki.

Sakaki, for years that girl had preoccupied Kaori's mind with a stranglehold that was both irresistible and terrible. She had loved her. But when the person you love doesn't return that love what does that leave you with? In Kaori's case it was bitterness. And more than a little depression.

She remembered the day well. It was after graduation, Sakaki was going with her friends to some amusement park when Kaori decided it was now or never. After the freakish display of affection that Kimura-sensei had given her, she wasn't really in her right of mind. But she decided that since she would no longer be able to see her in class, that it was a good time to go to her and, well, do something. Anything!

She ended up coming clean with Sakaki. Told her everything. Told her how long she had been admiring her, told her that not a night goes by that she doesn't think of her. That she was the girl of her dreams and that she was overjoyed _just to_ _touch her. She just wanted to be noticed by her and-_

Kaori grimaced. Three long years of secrets came pouring out of her mouth that day. Three long, terrible years worth of desire, of longing came crashing out of her mouth like water from a burst damn. It was also the day that Sakaki gave her answer to Kaori.

"Kaorin, I... _I'm not gay." _

And just like that, a division between them had formed. One that could never be crossed. Kaori had said too much, had assumed too much. She then asked Kaori to please leave her alone. And later Kaori found out just how disturbed she had made Sakaki. She had learned from Yomi years later that Sakaki had likened her to Kimura-sensai. She was grossed out by even the thought that Kaori had watched her change in gym, or what was going through her mind when she wanted photos taken.

And a whole lot of other stuff. Sakaki never wanted to see her again and she knew it. Between Sakaki and some of her other friends "politely" asking her to leave her alone, Kaori knew that she was officially banned from that group. She already was really, but now it was official.

Of course, that time wasn't all bad. It had been then that Cfhihiro had first made her intentions clear to Kaori as well. After that night they were much more than friends. She and Chihiro spent a lot more time together after that if it were possible. Although they went for different career paths, they spent a lot of their free time together. She had fallen in love with Chihiro just as Chihiro had her.

Kaori cried softy to herself as she finished getting ready for school. It really wasn't fair. Everything was going just the way she wanted it to, she was with her best friend, she was becoming something she always wanted to be, an astronomer, she had her own flat and a-a-and…

_Why did Chihiro have to die?_

* * *

Well, that's my first chapter. Not as good as I was hoping it would be but then again we are our own worst critic. Speaking of which, please, please when you write your review, don't be gentle. I thrive on constructive feedback, it's one of the main reasons for posting this story to this site. I just discovered it a few days ago and decided to give it a shot since I enjoy writing so much. 

Any story inconsistancies, grammer/spelling/word usage mistakes, and general feedback apreciated. 

Chapter 2 will be up shortly, it wll hopefully move the plot line in a good direction, not to mention speed.

**STORY EDIT 1.1**

It has come to my attention that becoming an astronomer is not quite as easy as I thought and would require a doctorate. Which would meen about 10 years of schooling I figure. Which would meen that Kaori would not be going to "work," but rather to "school." Nothing else has been changed as of 1.1. Slight commenentary note: This could be a fun change any how when Chiyo is introduced. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2. _In which Osaka is a "genius" and Sakaki is a "bimbo."_

Kagura was putting on her make up and preparing to go meet with Tomo. They had called and had agreed to meet together at a restaurant. Wasn't a nice restaurant but neither of them had a lot of money. Kagura was under the impression that she would be the one paying for the whole thing in fact.

She was still stunned that she had gotten her little "wish" while at work the previous day. Well, not all her wish. She still lived alone in a dive and was a total mess. But it was still something! Tomo must have forgiven her for some of the things she had said at least. Or had completely forgotten about them. Either possibility was just as likely as the next with Tomo.

And with thoughts of her old friend fresh in her mind she left her apartment and made her way to the diner. Passing people on the street, oblivious to everything but the smack of fate that had propelled her on this journey.

Meanwhile, Tomo was doing roughly the same thing. She was washing up, getting on clean clothes, and was generally happy and hyper, as she had been in high school.

She wondered again why she wanted to meet with Kagura. She wasn't exactly one of her close friends anymore. Maybe she was feeling nostalgic? Summer time break always made her feel that way. Maybe in her mind this was like going to Chiyo-chan's summer home. Only with food. That was free. Yes. That was a _very_ good reason to go see an old friend.

"Where're you goin'?" One of her friends asked her. He was more than a little drunk as usual but he didn't have work that day, so Tomo didn't think much of it.

"I'm gonna go out for a bit."

"I see dat ya whore. I ask'd ya where you was headin' to."

"I'm heading out!" Tomo shouted and slammed the door. She wondered again why she put up with her "friends." But it wasn't like she had much else to go or to do or any other friends.

Tomo went through the list in her mind. Of all the reasons why she had to stay here, and why she did what she did with them or why she couldn't leave but as usual, all her answers left her feeling empty. They weren't the same men they were when she had met them. What started out as a group of friends was quickly turning into something else.

But Tomo didn't dwell long on it. It was just everyday life, and today she was doing something different! Tomo enjoyed doing interesting things, things that broke up the dull daily grind. She thrived on the moments in her life that were exciting. Although she wasn't the hyper-active ball of pure, living energy she was in high school she could still be quite chaotic when the time came.

She jumped down the last flight of stairs landing kind of hard, not worrying about anything other than what she would talk about to her old friend.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Mizuhara-san was busy as normal. As she always was. That idiot Yoshida actually got his report in before she went home so she wasn't too pressed for time today but still she had things to worry about. She always did. And not once did she stop and think if anything she was worried about actually mattered.

Today was a little different than yesterday though. Today she decided to take her lunch break. She had a small salad and a veggie sandwich. Practical, nutritious, no nonsense. Just the way she liked it. She used this time for personal uses as well, naturally. No need to waste valuable work time when she could just do those things on her personal time after all.

She had finished eating in about ten minutes and was staring down another ten of just this elusive "personal" time. Or she could just go back to working early.

"No. No I am going to take this leisure time and use it. Personal time is important." _Isn't it? _

Mizuhara-san decided to check her Email instead of going back to work early. She had a life dang it! She wasn't just her job. Right? Of course. She had regular correspondents and friends and family and all sorts of things going for her. _Right?_

To her surprise she had gotten an Email back already from her star gazing friend. To her horror Kaorin even mistook her request to "get in touch" to mean a real meeting, person to person. And said that she could get up early and meet her tonight if she wanted, when she got off work.

Yomi, er, Mizuhara-san quickly typed a reply, explaining how she was far too busy and that maybe it wasn't such a good idea and that she had only meant this to be a "hi what's up?" sort of letter. Mizuhara-san wanted to hit reply so much, it was the only logical thing to do. But coming out of her proverbial grave, Yomi said no.

Yomi deleted that message and instead typed a quick thank you and stated the time and place she would like to meet her old friend. She decided that if there was one person who understood her it would be Kaorin.

Yomi remembered when she had found her crying over Tomo. She remembered the sympathy and the advice she gave her. She remembered a lot of things she had helped her with in her time of need. Yomi just wished she could have repaid her when Chihiro was killed. She had stood there stunned, watching her life collapse and come crashing down. She had seen her clutching the still warm body, begging her not to leave her, then begging God. Then anyone. Yomi doubted she could ever burn those sights from her mind.

"All the while I just stood there in disbelief. I was a great help for her. Then I decided that it was best for her to just 'be left alone.' I'm just a little genius. Chiyo would have a run for her money around me!" Yomi said aloud, "Right when she needed someone most I decided that would be the best time to distance myself from my new best friend. Real winner material."

Yomi looked at her clock, she was late coming back from lunch. And just like that, Mizuhara-san was back to work and performing her functions. Making sure her work got done, her reports and her daily grind and all of it. Cold and calculating, beautiful and untouchable. The terror of her subordinates and forgotten by her friends. Yomi wanted to scream.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Sakaki was having a good day. She was still a little upset that her good friend couldn't come to visit, but had decided to not let that get to her that much. Maybe some time she could plan a trip out there, she had always wanted to visit the country. It was rumored to be filled with farmlands and forests for as far as the eye could see, as well as having some other interesting things.

She was daydreaming just a little bit as she worked, imagining going through an enchanted forest with Chiyo and her friends. At least she _was_, until a couple of loud and obnoxious "gentlemen" walked in.

They seem to just be in here for kicks Sakaki thought. She highly doubted that a group of genuine creeps like those would want anything to do with something fuzzy like a teddy or a pair of bunny slippers. She couldn't help herself though from overhearing their conversation.

"Little bitch acts like she owns the place. I say we just kick her fat ass out."

"Don tcha talk like dat, she'z good for a screw. An' don't be callin' 'er fat. Her ass aint too bad heh hur hurr hur."

"Lay off the booze man you're sounding like a retard again. Tomo aint what she used to be, hell she hasn't even put out in weeks. And besides that she's driving me crazy, little bitch has quite the mouth on her."

"Ya used ter like that sorta talk. Dat's why yous fall'd in love wit da wild cat aint it?"

"I fell in love with a hot college chick who looked fun in bed. Takino aint none of those things now."

"Uhhh… she's still a chick man."

"Shut it."

Sakaki listened in on them for long enough to be thoroughly disgusted and wanted to walk out of earshot of them. But then she heard a name that she was sure couldn't be right. Tomo Takino? The tall girl mustered up her courage. Having this job had been good for her, she could deal with people much easier now than what she used to be able to do.

"Ummm. Excuse me gentlemen?" Sakaki said in her quiet, gentle voice.

"We don't need any help findin' nothin' lady. I got what I came for." The man pointed towards a stuffed little kitten. Why he wanted to buy it wasn't any of Sakaki's business but she wondered in her head anyway.

"Oh no, I was um… actually going to ask you about Tomo Takino."

"Why the hell would you know a whore like her? Sorry lady but you don't seem the type." He replied and his friend guffawed.

"Err, well I knew a Tomo Takino in high school., very umm… easily excitable. She was friends with Yomi, Osaka- err, Ayumu Kasuga… She had kind of wild shoulder length hair... it was black…"

"You just described most of the women in Japan, baring freaks like you, sweat heart." He was getting annoyed now at this 'bimbo.'

Sakaki stiffened, she was well aware that she was taller than almost anyone else but she didn't consider herself a freak. Not since middle school did someone call her that, what were these guys thinking? "Well tell her Sakaki said hi. If she wants to find me tell her about my shop here." Sakaki said as she moved to the cash register. She wanted these two people out as soon as possible, and there were other guests here that were getting disturbed by their conversation. There was a young girl clutching a floppy eared rabbit to her chest that was listening with wide eyes who was looking rather scared now.

"Oh, and that will be ¥900."

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Ayumu walked around town completely oblivious to what was happening around her or to her friends. She had not seen any of them for a long time now. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She had gone out drinking with Yukari and Nyamo just last night. She was still recovering from that!

Walking along, mind darting from one subject to the next, going from emotion to emotion, memory to memory in a crazy swirl of images that comprised a normal day's walk in the life of Osaka, the absent minded genius. At least, according to her students she was. She knew a real genius and she wasn't anything like Chiyo-chan.

Yes Chiyo-chan was a real, honest, genius! She was a doctor now an' everythin'. An' what was more, she was even an adult now, so she was old enough tah do that sort of thing now.

Ayumu was on her way to go out to eat when she noticed something that made her concentration break. Her phone was singing to her "The time warp" from some American horror film; which meant that someone was calling her that was _not_ either of her two teaching friends. They each had the call of the Valkyries.

She liked all them foreign language songs. She could imagine them saying anything then. Yukari used to make fun of her, saying that if she knew English better she wouldn't have to just imagine what they were saying. But then, why destroy a perfectly beautiful language like English or German by knowing what dull or mundane things they are saying? Much better to just use your imagination. And Ayumu had one hell of an imagination.

Ayumu had had a great many wonderful conversations with foreigners using just that tactic.

Oh! The phone she thought as she realized she was just listening to the ringer. She opened her phone and said in a dreamy voice, "Hi."

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Tomo spoke freely with Kagura, talking about high school and how they would be at Chiyo-chan's house by now if they were still there, talking about the weather and sports, how Kagura no longer paid attention to sports and that she would prefer not to talk about that. The longer she talked however the closer and closer she came to talking about something serious. Stuff that was going on in her life, stuff like Ito and the gang and how much she wished she were somewhere else.

But she didn't go into that. She couldn't.

"So I guess Izanagi wasn't the best choice I could have made. I was pretty sure I was going to end the relationship after the baby died but getting sent to the hospital with a concussion and the worlds biggest black eye was really the cincher."

"Wow, Kagura I knew that he was a scumbag but I had no idea…"

"Yeah, I didn't expect him to ever do something like that. He wasn't like that in college. Well, I don't think he was." Kagura didn't look too certain but continued on, "either way, I just wanted to get that out of the way. I'm sorry. I really should have listened to you and the others. I know I wouldn't have, you know, made it in competitive sports but I think I would be doing a lot better if I hadn't shacked up with that man."

"Apology accepted." Tomo flashed a winning smile and gave a thumbs up with her arm stretched out. "It's nice to see you again. I haven't really seen any of our crew for a long time now."

"Well, I'm feeling the same Tomo. I mean it's not like I didn't burn a lot of bridges or nothing but I was getting pretty lonely all by myself."

"You live by yourself?"

"Yeah. After the divorce I decided I really didn't want anything to do with relationships ever again. Well, not at that time at any rate." Kagura was again feeling very aware that she was sounding, and probably looking rather pathetic. She decided to turn the tables a little bit and get some real information out of Tomo.

"So, how about you? Do you live by yourself?"

"Not exactly…"

"Where do you work at?"

"Well…"

"Do you have a boyfriend that you live with?"

"Something like that…" Tomo had been getting quieter and quieter with each question, like mighty hammer blows those questions seemed hit her. They were the last thing she wanted to discuss with Kagura, but she supposed after she asked them that there was no point in not answering. She knew that Kagura, despite what she may look like now, was not one who would ever back down from something like this.

"Okay Kagura. It's like this," Tomo began with a loud and chipper voice. The one she used to use for Yo- err, her other friend. "When I was going to College I met this guy, and he was really cool and said he loved me and wanted to show me a good time."

"That sounds familiar."

"Yeah heh heheh." Tomo sighed. "Anyhow, after I saw that my grades were going down the drain faster than the bullet train to hell I decided to abandon ship, let my folks eat the loss, and run away with my knight in shining armor."

"Shining armor?"

"I don't know, I heard it from somewhere."

"Fair enough."

"So then, he's all like, 'you can stay with me and my friends as long as you want Tomi. He used to call me Tomi it was kind of cute."

"Used to?"

"Well, I guess he must have… umm… Well, anyways, it works out great. I have free room and board and all I need to do is love him and-" Tomo caught herself before she said her next word, but she feared it was too late.

"And?"

"And…" Tomo's cheerful voice was receding ever so slightly. "And love his friends."

Kagura raised an eyebrow and her mouth fell open just a little bit.

"Well, we're like a family, alright? They take care of me, so… Well, I take care of them. It's a give and give relationship alright?" Tomo said angrily.

"Well, I suppose. As long as you're happy right?" Kagura said, regaining her composure.

"…"

"You are happy, right Tomo?"

Again, nothing. Tomo's mind was going through all her questions that she normally found answers to so fast. Her life was spiraling out of control and she knew it, but she didn't want to believe it.

"They do… well, 'love' you too, right?"

"Kagura."

"Yeah?"

"I don't think they really do anymore." Tomo said so quietly that Kagura could barely hear the previously shouting woman.

"I, well, I… I don't really have anywhere else to go. They keep me, so, I'm desired there. They're my friends… or at least… they used…" Tomo was having much more trouble explaining her situation than she had thought. Damn it! She had already planned how she would answer these questions before she even went to bed last night! Admittedly she was drunk but, well, still!

Tomo was getting angry again, "well, where am I supposed to go? Huh! I don't have a job, I don't have a degree, even if they do get a bit rowdy sometimes and don't always respect me they're what I got!" Tomo finished quickly.

"Tomo, you're crying. Are you sure you're alright?" Kagura said, getting a little uncomfortable. This little reunion wasn't going the way she thought it would.

Other customers were looking at them now, Kagura knew that they were making a scene and wanted to leave. Now.

"Come on Tomo, we're finished here. Lets go back to my place, I have a bottle of sake that has been begging for some one to open it for hours now!"

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Much later, Kaorin was getting up out of bed and performing her "morning" rituals. When she got to her computer to check up on her messages, she was pleasantly surprised that she hadn't gotten up early in vain. In just two hours she was going to have breakfast/supper with Yomi.

Not that she really felt anything for her old friend, after Chihiro Kaori wasn't in the mood to pursue any sort of romance but she was one of her best friends and she had been there when, Well, she had shared a lot with her. She knew she should feel mad at her for sort of abandoning her after the incident. But when Kaori thought about it, the more she thought along the lines of, "I think I needed time by myself, to readjust to life without her." She knew that if she had kept Yomi at close proximity it would have created more strains on her friendship than she was willing to risk.

She did _not want another Sakaki. _

I would like to thank all of my reviewers, not by name perhaps as that is an anoying precedence and I don't want to show favoritism but you know who you are! 

Remember to visit my profile for proper chapter commentary. For the reduced version...

Chapter 3 is finished but is waiting for chapter 4 and maybe 5, as I want to keep story edits to a minimum and my style of writing can often leave me wanting to change things so that it can flow better with new ideas. This chapter was pretty cool to write, I wish chapter 1 could have had more dialogue like this.

Oh, speaking of story edits...

**STORY EDIT 1.1**

It has come to my attention that becoming an astronomer is not quite as easy as I thought and would require a doctorate. Which would meen about 10 years of schooling I figure. Which would meen that Kaori would not be going to "work," but rather to "school." Nothing else has been changed as of 1.1. Slight commenentary note: This could be a fun change any how when Chiyo is introduced. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3. In which Tomo is an honored guest, and supper becomes breakfast.

Mizuhara-san did not have a single idea what she had been thinking. She still had a project unfinished that she should have stayed an extra hour or two to complete, she was tired and wanted to go to sleep early, she hated going to these expensive restaurants it felt so wasteful, and to top it all off she didn't hadn't even seen Kaori for what seemed a life time!

But that was probably why she was doing this. She was not just her job, it was perfectly normal to have to schedule time to hang out with your friends. She had when she was in school hadn't she? She maintained top grades while having friends then, she could maintain top production and maintain them now damn it!

Yomi was a stunningly beautiful woman. She had aged rather well, didn't smoke or drink (much) and even worked out on weekends. She had always thought she was fat while in high school but the truth of the matter was she was just sort of curvy. "Hmm. If it weren't for Sakaki, I would have had the longest hair, the biggest- err, size, and maybe would have been the tallest girl in school." She thought to herself.

She wore her hair down like she used to, although it felt a little bit strange since she normally wore it in a bun. More professional that way. She put on some make up, but not a lot. She wore her thin and severe glasses that she had grown accustomed with. She used to go for the big square ones out of convenience of being able to, well, see more at a time. But honestly she didn't like how they looked anymore.

After she was ready and was getting into her car she wondered what Kaori would look like. Had she grown her hair longer or had she kept her signature bob style? Did she still have those goofy Saturn ear rings? She obviously hadn't seen her in a while, people can change so much in such a short time. It was with that thought that Yomi began to get more nervous than annoyed over this meeting.

ooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Sakaki was a little worried about her old friend. It had been a long time since she had seen her but she had always assumed she was doing okay. Why wouldn't she? She always seemed to be able to take care of herself. But if what she had heard earlier was any indication of what was really happening then maybe the wild cat was in over her head this time.

But that was just silly. There's probably thousands of Tomo Takinos. It was just as likely as not that they were talking about any number of girls. Yes, that's probably it. No need to get too worked up over it, the fact that she hadn't gotten a phone call back from her probably meant that she was just wasting her time. There was no real reason to believe that she was in danger anyhow, no reason whatsoever.

Except her base instincts screaming that there was.

Sakaki was off work and had gone home, letting her night manager take things over from there. He was pretty awesome, she thought. He made a good chunk of the toys by hand. And had opened up an art section and everything! He had breathed new life into the store and had turned it from a no name close to bankrupt deserted warehouse into something that pulled a profit almost every quarter, and had at least made enough to support itself and its employees. Toshimichi Maki-san had a lot to be proud of. Sakaki often found herself admiring him and his works.

Admiration. There was a word that Sakaki was familiar with. Everyone thought she was just so this that and another thing growing up. Whether it was athletics or her appearance, she never felt that people truly understood "The real me." She wondered if she felt the same way for Maki-san. Perhaps under that muscled, lithe body of his lay the heart of a child, warm and full of feeling and love. Maybe past his artistic skills and abilities there was something more. Maybe he had a great deal of talent in, well, _music. _or maybe he was a passionate _chef._

Sakaki thought on like this for some time, temporarily forgetting about Tomo. She would be the first to deny that she was all that interested in the man. She would also be lying through the teeth while doing so.

But she wasn't going to be juvenile about it either. She knew that there had to be chemistry, that there would have to be shared goals and the ability to connect. One shouldn't just go head long into a real serious relationship. She had seen enough of that while growing up. What had happened to Kagura-san was proof of what could happen when you just fall head over heals for some guy.

Still, she had never had a real boyfriend. Had never even had sex with anyone, even during those crazy years in college. Having someone whom she could share with, or be with would be fully wonderful. Yes, She was an adult now, she should be ready to start looking for someone nice to be with now. Not like those men in the store earlier.

"Oh!" Sakaki thought of something. It was possible that Tomo might still have her Email address and had decided to Email her instead of call. Calling someone can be kinda personal, maybe she felt more comfortable sending a letter or something. Then again, since when did Tomo ever get uncomfortable over "personal" things? Still, it was worth a check.

She went to her computer and did just that. To see if she had gotten any messages from anyone she knew. Disappointed, She saw that she only got one new message from someone with a screen name of "AKasOoka3234". Almost assuredly not Tomo. Shrugging her shoulders, she opened it.

After only fifteen seconds of reading the note, eyes opened wide and mouth slightly agape, she was glad that she did.

ooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

"And then get this, he asked 'what's the difference?'" Kaori said, greatly enjoying herself tonight with Yomi. It was amazing, in just under an hour she was talking comfortably with someone whom she hadn't seen in over a year. Just like that, and it was like being in college with her all over again.

"Oh m-, you have to be kidding!"

"Nope. I'm serious. The guy not only thought I was an astrologer, but he didn't even know the difference between one and an astronomer!"

"Well, some people aren't all that bright."

"Can't really hold it against them. You don't run into a lot of either profession when you think about it."

Yomi laughed at that. "Yeah, I remember thinking you were crazy for setting your sights to the stars. But you sure showed me, working on your doctorate now and everything."

"Well, when you follow your dreams all sorts of crazy stuff can happen." Kaori said with a suddenly serious face. It was something that she firmly believed in. "I'm well on my way to earning my doctorate in physics. It's not easy, but I've always been pretty good at the math stuff."

"Hmm." Yomi speared to be thinking on that. She almost seemed a little sad over something.

"_Hah! What an absurd notion,"_ Kaori thought to herself. All the same, she did look a little strange. "You look a bit distracted Yomi, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing I guess." Yomi said a little tentatively.

Kaori gave a half smile, "is it about work?"

"No, work is going good. I'm already a sr. manager and might be ready for another promotion within a year if I keep on making productions." Yomi stated matter-of-factly.

Kaori decided to drop it before she strayed into dangerous territory with her friend. She respected her, and didn't want to embarress her. Especially if it was involving one of the "three". There were a few things they did not talk about. Chihiro, Sakaki, and Tomo. _For obvious reasons..._

"Actually Kaori, what I was thinking was actually about some of my old friends."

"Oh?" Kaori said slightly disappointed. She had mixed feelings over Yomi's old friends. She had tried very hard for a long time to get along with them but had always felt like an outsider. Especially when she had Chihiro always willing to save her a seat, or to do things with her. By the third year when she had been transferred she had all but become a ghost in that group. Being invited to Chiyo-chan's summer house had been one of the oddest and surreal experiences of her life.

"I know you, well, probably don't see why I would want to get into contact with some of them. I don't think Ayumu, err, Osaka ever really connected with you. I know that you considered Kagura to be a bit of a showoff and Sakaki…

"Yeah… I don't want to talk about that." Kaori said turning a bit red. "_Please don't mention the three!_" She had wanted to say but decided to hold her tongue instead.

What had happened with Sakaki was something that no one would want to dwell on. It had been the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to her. She gave an involuntary shudder when she thought about her infatuation with that girl.

"I didn't figure you would. But still, they were my friends. I haven't spoken with them ever since I got out of college, and after Tomo and I split for good, well. You know?" Yomi was talking fast and looking at Kaori for some sort of reaction.

"Well, I suppose. I mean, sometimes I wouldn't mind seeing _some_ of my old senseis again. But, you know, between college and my new friends and stuff it seems sort of silly." She said probably more carelessly than she meant to.

"I don't, err, that is to say I don't really have that many, uhhh." Yomi was turning a bit pink in spite of herself, "I don't have a lot of real friend-friends."

"Oh? But you always seemed so popular! Surely you have some?" Kaori said incredulously.

"Well, it's a bit of a different world than in high school don't you think Kaori?"

"Well, yeah I guess so." Kaori said. She still wasn't sure if she could believe that Yomi didn't have any friends other than a little astronomer-in-training she barely talked to. Not someone as smart, sexy, and interesting and- _Stop it!_

"So who have you been spending time with? You can't tell me you've been alone for all this time?" Kaori asked a bit more anxiously than the situation probably warranted.

Yomi closed her eyes. Kaori could see that the question had annoyed, possibly hurt her friend. It dawned on Kaori that she was perhaps acting a bit harsh. She should know more than just about anyone how much words can hurt. "Talk is cheap," the old saying goes. Kaori didn't believe a word of that though. It seemed like sometimes, words could hurt as much as knives and needles. A few moments of conversing with someone can change their entire day, or week, or in her case, a single sentence could change a life.

"I've been just busy with work I guess. A part of me hadn't even wanted to go out tonight. I've been absorbed in my work, hell-bent and determined to succeed. There's a lot of competition for my job. My superiors would replace me in a heartbeat if they thought they could meet more production with someone else. The business world is a lot more cutthroat than I was prepared to believe." Yomi was on a roll now and could not be stopped it seemed.

"I guess a part of me had expected this, and had looked forward to it. Another part though, just wishes I could go back to the way things were. Do your homework, study for your tests, and you will succeed. Simple, yet effective. I had halfway expected everything to be that way, as long as I did a set amount of work, I could just go home and talk with my best friend."

"And you find it isn't like that then?"

"No. Sometimes I wish I could just stop, get out of this rat race, and do something simpler. But I can't."

"And why not? Yomi, you can do anything you set your mind to!" Kaori said with wide eyes.

"I know. That's the problem. I can't just leave this career. I can't willingly step down from something like this, I can't just let go. I want, no, I _need_ to have this sort of success. I don't think I could live with myself if I step out now, and throw away all that potential."

"Sounds like you have quite the conundrum." Kaori was watching her friend, reserving her comments until the other girl had finished getting everything off her chest.

"Well, I was thinking, maybe I just need a compromise. That is usually the most logical choice. Maybe I don't need to work _quite _so hard, maybe I should slow down just a little bit. I hadn't wanted to meet up with you earlier, but then I started to really think about all of this." Yomi pushed her glasses up her nose.

"Getting in contact with my old friends might be just the thing I need."

Kaori was absentmindedly drinking her beverage while Yomi had said that. She swallowed and gaged what she would say carefully. "Yomi, I think you might be right. I don't think what you are doing is at all healthy." Kaori took a deep breath, nervous over what she would say next, "but I don't think you would be pleased to spend time with some of your old friends. And you know who I'm talking about. And it's been even longer since you last spoke to some of them than you have me, it might be that some of them, and I don't mean to say this to be rude, but it _might be a possibility_ that some of them don't want to spend time with you."

"Well, naturally I would steer clear of Tomo. Maybe Sakaki too. But Osaka and Kagura would be nice to visit with. She might have said a few hurtful things, but that was years ago. Saito-san might have ended up leaving her by now, or they might be married with kids. Either way, I think maybe in my circumstances I should just forgive and forget."

"Well, as long as you know it wouldn't be like it was back in high school, and look at things realistically…"

"You sound almost like me Kaori. I know things will be different. Nothing ever stays the same."

Kaori smiled thinking of all the things that had happened since high school. Few things stayed the same, it was true. But some things, no matter how much you wished it to, could never change. She looked down sadly at the ring on her finger. Thinking about who it's mate was buried with.

"Nope! Nothing stays the same, but it doesn't mean it has to be bad. I'm sure you'll find at least one of your old friends that you can get along well with." Kaori said, playing with her favorite, and in her opinion, _beautiful _Saturn ear rings.

For the rest of their time together, before Kaori had to go to school (work too in a way.) and Yomi had to go to bed, they spoke of nothing serious. Nothing hard or emotional. They spoke of movies, work, science, and books. Taking time to comment about actors, co-workers, planets, characters and authors. And they talked about more than just that.

They spoke like two school girls who were enjoying summer break together, each one enjoying their breakfast and supper, never minding that both were exceptionally busy people. Forgetting things like quarterly reports and essays, and instead remembering what it was like to be human.

ooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

The room was simple, clean, and efficient. Nothing in it stood out as being expensive or extravagant. But it had a certain charm to it, a certain sense of style. From the framed pictures on the walls to the curtains and carpeting everything seemed to fit into place.

There was a slight, ever so slight feeling of heaviness to the air however. It was a clean and neat flat, it was well decorated and had the necessary furnishings. It had pictures and it had all the evidence of being lived in. It wasn't that it felt uninhabited it just felt…

Tomo couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was too quiet? Perhaps that was it. She was used to living in a house with the television blaring at all times and at least one radio as well. Maybe it was the fact that only one person lived here, and that person didn't have very many friends come over. If any.

The more Tomo looked around and tried to ascertain the cause of her unease that it began to dawn on her that maybe the feeling wasn't coming from what the place lacked. But rather what it was filled with. Long forgotten memories of past success and triumph, of friends and family. And perhaps freedom.

"Tomo? Are you listening to me?"

"Hmmm…" She hadn't been listening. But that didn't mean she didn't know what she was saying. She had been saying the same thing for nearly three hours now. Same message with different words, like a living thesaurus, she had managed to convey this singular thought in more ways than Tomo Takino had thought humanly possible.

"Look, you can stay here tonight. It's no big deal I guess, you can sleep on the couch."

"Oh sure, and you get the bed? Hah!"

"Why would I give you my bed!?" Kagura said with an air of exasperation that let Tomo know she wasn't really upset, but was still annoyed.

Tomo smiled. "Well, I am your honored guest aren't I? Shouldn't you honor me?"

"Come on I think I'm going above and beyond being a good host here."

"Well, some of us have our goals set higher than others I guess."

"You're one to talk!"

"Back at yah!" Tomo was in a good mood now. She could hardly believe that just a few hours earlier she had been crying her stupid eyes out over stupid Ito. Stupid, stupid stupid stupid Ito and his friends.

"Well, at least I-" Kagura stopped and took a deep breath and smiled. Tomo smiled back at her and flashed her victory sign. "You're sure you don't need help tomorrow? Sounds like your 'friends' could be rather dangerous."

"They'll understand. And they wouldn't hurt me. No matter what he might see me as now, Ito used to love me. I'm sure of it. He wouldn't hurt me. He _couldn't_ hurt me." Tomo said more to herself than to Kagura. Truth was she was scared to death. This was all so sudden, so drastic. She had spent years with Ito, had depended on him for so long now it, well, it was just hard to think of life without him now.

But then again, she had experience with that sort of situation. Tomo remembered well her near life long friend. It had been a much harder thing losing her than a million Itos. "_Why did she have to say those things? Why did Yomi have to have those feelings for me? Why?!"_

"I still don't think it's a good idea." Kagura said, snapping Tomo's attention back to the conversation.

"Oh, you worry too much! Look, things are finally going my way, it's like a sign from God or somethin'.

"Well, I don't see any reason you can't stay here afterwards. So long as you get a job anyways. I'm not asking for much, but this isn't a free ride."

Kagura spoke on again, repeating what she had said earlier. It was pretty basic and mundane in reality. Get moved out, get a job, be responsible. Boring perhaps but Tomo wasn't a teenager anymore. She had learned quite a bit of life's little lessons over the years regardless of how she might act.

"Okay okay Kagura I got it! I don't know when I'll be able to get a job though. Not that I think it'll be that long, I'm pretty talented." Tomo knew she was so, _so_ screwed. "Besides, you know how great I am! Any employer would be falling head over heals for a chance to get someone as talented and cute as me!" Tomo prayed that she didn't sound as pathetic to Kagura as she did to herself.

Tomo continued, "Heck, before long I bet I'll be the one letting _you_ live in _my_ place!" Tome desperately wished her friend was tolerant of her living here for a prolonged period of time. Her situation seemed nearly insurmountable. And a part of her didn't even want this change. She wanted to keep on believing she was happy where she was.. "You just wait and see. I won't be any trouble at all. Heck, running into me was probably the best thing that's happened to you in years!"

Kagura shook her head. Tomo knew she didn't buy into a single word she had said. But she would be damned to _hell_ before she acknowledged that. Tomo knew that she was messed up. Tomo knew that she needed help. She knew that things had gotten out of hand. And so did Kagura.

"Well, we'll see. We three are going job hunting tomorrow. I think I remember seeing in the newspaper a big office building needing some people. I think you could answer phone calls or clean windows. If not I'm betting you could learn."

Tomo was ready to give another one of her cries of protest, "I-"

but her throat tightened up before she could get very far. So she instead tried to give a declaration about how she could have managed on her own and didn't need any help "You don-"

But her throat hadn't quite loosened up enough yet and for some reason her face was twitching now, particularly her lips. "Thanks." Was the best she could do under such unfavorable talking conditions.

When she found her self crying again for absolutely no discernible reason and sobbing on Kagura's shoulder she knew something must have been wrong with her.

ooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Ayumu Kasuga-sensei was getting ready for bed. Her summer-break papers had been graded, her meal consumed, her movie watched and her book read. She was still a bit excited at the phone call she had received, she hadn't been expecting that at all! She had to remember to start expecting the unexpected better, might come in handy someday. It seemed to be pretty popular advice in some of the movies she watched, she thought somberly.

Still to be fair, it wasn't every day that one receives a phone call from someone you haven't seen in four years.

It had been a long time since she had been "Osaka." Although she never really liked the nick name, it had become endearing after awhile. She supposed that Ayumu was just too formal or somethin'. She may not know why her name had been changed to Osaka, but she did remember when it had occurred. It had been the first day of high school, she was a transfer student who didn't know anyone, coming from another city. She doubted she would have been called Osaka if she had still lived in Osaka after all.

It had been Tomo who had initiated the change of identity. Her friend Yukari had gone along with it just as much as any of her students, it had caused Ayumu some problems when looking for her name on the wall. Tomo was always a little bit crazy. But then again who was she to judge? Most people considered her to be eccentric to say the least.

She hadn't seen Tomo, or her other old close friend Kagura in a very long time. Together they had been the Bonkuras, and had had many exciting and mysterious adventures. Admittedly, none were to anyplace really weird like Mars or Jurassic Park, or even to America when Chiyo was in college. But they had been great adventures anyways.

Quite the pleasant surprise it was then that she received a call from one of them earlier that day, Kagura asking her to lunch. Apparently she had been hard to find, she couldn't find her in the phone book and had to ask Nyamo what her number was. Ayumu was of course always quick to put the proverbial two and two together and figured she had just forgotten her real name again. She also wondered why she called Nyamo. Or, what _exactly_ Kagura's first name was.

She had said she had found Tomo and thought it would be great to have a little get together. Ayumu agreed whole-heartedly. She couldn't make it that day exactly, but she said that she would meet at her place around lunchtime the next day.

That of course had given Ayumu a daring idea. She hadn't thought to think if it was a good one or a bad one yet, but she knew it was a big idea. Besides, it was probably something she should have done a long time ago. She had become so distant with her other friends when she was getting it together in college. And she never really reestablished ties with them afterwards.

Maybe she should have tried better to keep up with everyone from the start. Maybe she might have been better off if she had. Yes, she ought to have contacted them sooner, she would have been a better friend if she had.

"But never mind what should be, or what might be, or what oughta be. It's what things are that's what's really important." Ayumu was asleep within moments of that thought.

**STORY EDIT 1.1**

It has come to my attention that becoming an astronomer is not quite as easy as I thought and would require a doctorate. Which would meen about 10 years of schooling I figure. Which would meen that Kaori would not be going to "work," but rather to "school." Nothing else has been changed as of 1.1. Slight commenentary note: This could be a fun change any how when Chiyo is introduced. 

**Notes. (for full notes, check my profile.)**

Well, three chapters now and I still haven't horribly maimed, murdered, mutilated or ruined the plot yet! A new record!

But seriously, This chapter was huge. And I cringe with the thought the next one might be even longer. Yet what am I to do? There's so much character in these characters. I can't just not talk about what's going through their minds. I end each chapter when I think, plot and speed wise, it would be most prudent to do so. 

OH!! And I would like to take this chance to apologize... In advance... about the content in the next chapter. I know it will disturb some of you. But after carefull evalutation I decided that it is the course I am going to take. Can't give too many details but... I'm sorry for what will happen. 

_**Chapter 4: Cruelty.  
**_


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